17 Closing Lines Completely Sabotaging Your Outreach Emails
As a sales professional, you know nailing your outreach emails is critical to booking more meetings and hitting your numbers. You spend hours carefully crafting compelling subject lines, personalizing your message, and meticulously proofreading every word.
But there‘s one often overlooked element that can completely tank your chances of getting a response, no matter how perfect the rest of your email is: the closing line.
In fact, research from Dr. Robert Cialdini found that the last line of a message is actually the most memorable part. It‘s your final impression on the buyer and what sticks in their mind as they decide whether to answer or hit delete.
Unfortunately, many reps fall back on tired, generic, or downright awful closing lines that destroy their credibility and annoy the heck out of their prospects. LinkedIn‘s State of Sales Report found 50% of B2B decision makers have stopped responding to a salesperson because of impersonal or irrelevant outreach.
If you want to start more conversations and build better relationships in 2024, make sure you‘re not using any of these 17 terrible closing lines that are sabotaging your sales emails:
1. "Is [product] something you‘d be interested in?"
Why it‘s terrible: You haven‘t provided nearly enough information for the prospect to determine whether your product is relevant or valuable to them. Asking if they‘re interested in learning more before clearly explaining how you can help comes across as tone-deaf and self-serving.
Use this instead: "I‘d love to share how [company] has helped businesses like [prospect‘s company] increase [key metric] by X%. Would you be open to a quick call to discuss your [goal/challenge] and explore if it makes sense to talk further?"
2. "I know our solution is a perfect fit for your business."
Why it‘s terrible: Unless you have a crystal ball, there‘s no way you could know your product is a "perfect fit" for someone you‘ve never spoken to. Outlandish claims like this set off prospects‘ BS detectors and make you seem arrogant and out of touch.
Use this instead: "[Product] has been really effective at helping [similar company or industry] improve [challenge]. Based on your [specific detail], I suspect it could be a strong fit for [prospect‘s company] as well. I‘d be happy to walk you through some use cases and see if it‘s worth exploring."
3. "You‘re probably not facing these challenges, but…"
Why it‘s terrible: If you don‘t actually think the issues you described are relevant to the buyer, why would you bring them up? This undermines your entire reason for reaching out and makes it seem like you‘re just blasting out a generic pitch.
Use this instead: "Based on [research/trigger event], I imagine [key challenge] might be a priority for your team right now. If that‘s the case, I‘d love to share how we‘ve helped companies like [similar business] tackle this by [benefit]. Would you be open to discussing your [goal] to see if [product] could be a fit?"
4. "If you‘re not the right contact, I‘d appreciate if you could point me in the right direction."
Why it‘s terrible: With a bit of research on LinkedIn, you should be able to identify the correct decision-maker to reach out to. Asking your prospect to do your homework for you and forward your email to the appropriate person is lazy and self-serving.
Use this instead: "I noticed you oversee [relevant area] at [company], so I thought these insights on [topic] might be valuable for you. If there‘s someone else on your team who would be a better fit to discuss this, I‘d appreciate if you could let me know. My goal is to share relevant ideas with the right people."
5. "I‘m confident we can meet your every need!"
Why it‘s terrible: Talk about setting unrealistic expectations! Unless you‘re Santa Claus himself, there‘s no way you can address every single need your prospect has. Ridiculous claims like this just make you seem completely out of touch with reality.
Use this instead: "Based on our work with similar companies, I believe [product] could help you [achieve X results] in [specific area]. If [goal] is a priority, I‘d welcome the chance to learn more about your situation and share relevant examples of how we‘ve helped businesses like yours succeed."
6. "We would be absolutely thrilled to add you to our customer roster."
Why it‘s terrible: No one talks like this in real life. Using "we" to refer to yourself and over-the-top language like "absolutely thrilled" sounds totally inauthentic and makes prospects feel like they‘re being sold to by a used car salesman.
Use this instead: "I‘ve been following [company] and I‘m impressed by [something specific]. I‘d love to explore how [product] might be able to help you accelerate [key initiative]. If you‘re open to it, I‘d be happy to set up a quick call to learn more about your goals and share some ideas."
7. "Let me know if you need any additional information!"
Why it‘s terrible: With the average person receiving over 120 emails per day, according to a report by the Radicati Group, brevity and clarity are essential. Wasting precious space with an empty offer to provide more information (when you should have already included the most critical details) adds no value.
Use this instead: "I‘ve attached a quick one-pager with more details on how [product] has helped companies like [similar business] [achieve result]. Let me know if you have any questions or if you‘d like to discuss how this could impact [goal] for [prospect‘s company]."
8. "Thanks in advance for your response!"
Why it‘s terrible: This might seem polite, but thanking people for taking an action they haven‘t agreed to (and honestly, probably won‘t take) comes across as presumptuous and irritating. You‘ll seem like an entitled jerk.
Use this instead: "I appreciate you taking the time to read this. If it sounds like [product] could be valuable for [company], I‘d love to schedule a 15-minute call to discuss further. Please let me know if you‘re open to connecting."
9. "Thanks for your time,"
Why it‘s terrible: While not offensive, this closing line has been used approximately 12 billion times. It‘s so generic and expected, it‘s essentially meaningless. And it makes it seem like you‘re asking for a favor when this should be a mutually beneficial conversation.
Use this instead: "I know your time is valuable, so my goal is to only reach out with ideas that could make a real difference for your business. If [achieving X result] is a priority, I‘m confident a quick call would be well worth 15 minutes. What do you think?"
10. "When would be a good time to connect (if ever)?"
Why it‘s terrible: If you‘ve done a good job targeting your outreach and conveying the value of your product, you should be reasonably confident that a call would be worthwhile for qualified prospects. Adding "if ever" implies you don‘t even believe it‘s really relevant.
Use this instead: "Based on [research], it seems like [product] could potentially help [company] [achieve goal] in a big way this quarter. I‘d love to learn more about your plans in this area and share some specific examples of how we‘ve helped businesses like yours succeed. Do you have 15 minutes to connect this week? I‘m open [timeframe]."
11. "When works best for a call?"
Why it‘s terrible: Asking a prospect to stop what they‘re doing, pull up their calendar, figure out when they‘re free, and then suggest times to you creates way too much friction. Most people‘s gut reaction will be to archive your email and move on.
Use this instead: "If [goal/challenge] is on your radar, I‘d love to set up a quick call to learn more about your situation and explore if [product] could help. Would any of these times work for you? [Specific slots]. If not, I‘m happy to work around your schedule."
12. "How about a demo on [date] at [time]?"
Why it‘s terrible: Requesting a demo or product overview in your first touch is wildly premature. You haven‘t taken the time to understand their needs and objectives, so you have no idea if it‘s even a fit. You need to earn the right to a demo.
Use this instead: "Based on your [LinkedIn post/comment in industry forum/other relevant trigger], it seems like [challenge] is top of mind right now. I‘d love to learn more about how this impacts your team and share a few ideas that have helped similar companies improve [key result] by X%. Would you be open to a quick call to discuss your priorities this quarter and explore if it makes sense to talk further?"
13. "Why don‘t I give you a quick tour of our platform?"
Why it‘s terrible: Dressing up a product demo as a "tour" or "overview" doesn‘t change the fact that it‘s way too early in the conversation to be pitching your solution. You don‘t know anything about their situation yet, so a generic walkthrough is guaranteed to be irrelevant.
Use this instead: "I noticed [company] recently [relevant event/development]. This is an issue I‘m seeing a lot of businesses in [industry] grappling with. I‘d love to share some insights on how other companies are tackling this challenge and learn more about your experience. Would you be up for comparing notes?"
14. "Feel free to give me a call whenever at [phone number]."
Why it‘s terrible: Leaving a vague, open-ended invitation to call you "whenever" is a surefire way to get ghosted. Most prospects aren‘t going to save your number for later or try to reach you at random times hoping you‘ll be available.
Use this instead: "If [achieving X result] is a priority for you this quarter, I‘d welcome the chance to connect for 15 minutes and brainstorm some strategies that have worked well for similar companies. I have some open slots at [specific times]. If you‘d like to snag one, just let me know which works best for you."
15. "I look forward to receiving your response ASAP."
Why it‘s terrible: Expecting a prospect you‘ve never spoken with to put your unsolicited email at the top of their priority list is delusional. You‘ll come across as wildly out of touch and disrespectful of their schedule.
Use this instead: "I know your calendar is probably packed and I want to be respectful of your limited time. If the challenges I mentioned are on your radar and you‘re open to a quick conversation to explore some potential solutions, I‘d be happy to work around your schedule. I could be available at [timeframes] if any of those slots are convenient. Just let me know what works for you."
16. "Are you interested in learning about our company‘s history and future plans?"
Why it‘s terrible: Unless your company is Apple or Tesla, I can pretty much guarantee prospects don‘t want an overview of your corporate history and roadmap. People care about how you can solve their problems and make their lives easier today, not your long-term vision.
Use this instead: "In talking to other [job title] in [industry], I‘ve seen how much of an impact [challenge] can have on [key metric]. I‘d love to learn how this issue is affecting your team and explore some proven strategies to help you [achieve benefit]. If you‘re interested in sharing ideas, I‘d be happy to set up a quick brainstorm. How does your [day/time] look?"
17. "Why dontcha take a peek at my calendar and lock in some time for us to pow-wow?"
Why it‘s terrible: When it comes to injecting personality into sales emails, there‘s a fine line between authentic and grating. Outreach is not the place for cutesy colloquialisms, slang, or awkward jokes. This makes you seem totally un-serious and out of touch.
Use this instead: "I have a few thoughts on how [product] could potentially help [company] [achieve benefit], but I‘d love to get your take first. If you‘re up for a quick chat to compare notes, I‘d be happy to clear 15-20 minutes on my schedule. I‘m open at [specific times] if any of those work for you. If not, just let me know what‘s best and I‘ll make it happen."
How to Write Irresistible Closing Lines
Now that you know what not to do, here are some proven strategies for writing closing lines that make prospects eager to talk to you:
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Reinforce the value. In one sentence, reiterate how the conversation will benefit the buyer and help them achieve their goals. Make it crystal clear what‘s in it for them.
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Provide specific options. Suggest 2-3 concrete days and times to connect to make it dead simple for them to say yes. The less mental energy it takes to respond, the better.
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Embrace the power of scarcity. Mentioning you have "a few open slots" or "some limited availability" creates a sense of urgency and implies your time is in demand. Just don‘t go overboard and sound pompous.
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But stay flexible. While suggesting specific times is great, always end with an open invitation to share what works best for their schedule. You want to make it clear you‘re willing to accommodate their preferences.
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Keep it casual. Don‘t be afraid to use conversational phrases like "I‘d love to" or "Totally understand if your calendar is slammed." Write like a human, not a marketing brochure.
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Focus on them. The closing line is no place for an "About Us" paragraph. Keep the focus on the value they‘ll get from the discussion, not how great your company is.
One study from Carnegie Mellon found that including a reason for your outreach ("because…") increased response rates by over 50%, while inserting a personal benefit ("you‘ll be able to…") boosted replies by nearly 20%.
Here‘s a quick cheat sheet with examples of compelling closing lines in action:
| If you want to… | Try this closing line |
|---|---|
| Provide a specific benefit | "I‘d love to share how [product] has helped similar companies increase [key metric] by X% and get your thoughts on how this could work for [prospect‘s company]." |
| Create urgency | "I have a few open slots for a quick call at [times]. If you‘re interested in exploring how [product] could help you [achieve goal], just let me know which option is best." |
| Keep it casual and conversational | "If you‘re open to it, I‘d be happy to block off 15-20 minutes to hear about your experience with [challenge] and brainstorm some ideas. How does your [day/time] look?" |
| Focus on their goals | "My goal is to help [similar companies] like yours [achieve benefit] through [product]. If that‘s a priority, I‘d welcome the chance to learn about your situation and explore if it makes sense to discuss further." |
By taking just a few minutes to craft a strong, personalized closing line, you can dramatically boost your chances of starting a productive conversation. Remember, your closing isn‘t the end of your email – it‘s the beginning of a (hopefully) long and fruitful relationship.
Key Takeaways
- Generic, self-serving closing lines can tank your credibility and annoy prospects
- The most effective closings provide a clear benefit and make it easy to say yes
- Suggest specific times to reduce friction, but stay flexible to their schedule
- Keep the focus on the value they‘ll get from the conversation, not how great you are
- Test different closing lines to see what resonates with your specific audience
Ready to close more deals in 2024? Ditch these terrible closing lines and start ending your emails with powerful phrases that make prospects eager to talk to you. Your pipeline (and commission check) will thank you.
